Brothascomics Podcast

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

MegaCon Review

A couple of weeks ago, the kids and I packed into the mini van and headed two hours up the Florida Turnpike to attend MegaCon/MegaConvention in Orlando for the first time. The folks at MegaCon were kind enough to grant us a press pass, so we wanted to drop this review of the con for our readers! The mission of brothascomics is to bring you convention coverage for people who have not attended cons before or who have trepidation about doing so. In the past, conventions have not been the most friendly to people of color. We aim to help ease those fears by reviewing the con experience and by encouraging people to attend

The Badge Process
If you have read our reviews before, you know the one thing that can sink the boat of a con goer is the badge process. Often times, the process is so lengthy and tedious, it takes away any excitement you may have had attending the con. We were fortunate to have Press passes and that process was super smooth. On Friday, the badge process looked to be pretty smooth. MegaCon does an outstanding job of making sure attendees know they can pick their badges up early and many fans did that- especially those holding VIP passes. This was essential, especially on Saturday, the largest and busiest day of the con. When we walked in, the lines to enter were massive- this was about 45 minutes before they even opened the doors. It seemed to go smooth tho and you did not hear anyone complaining about picking up their badges. But as a word of advice, ALWAYS PICK UP YOUR BADGE EARLY!

These people already picked up their badges!

Con Size
MegaCon is the largest Con on Florida! It was estimated they did over 100,000 attendees this year and I would imagine that number is going to continue to grow in the future. With that said, if you are not someone who is into huge crowds and lines, maybe start at a smaller convention and work your way up to MegaCon. The organizers of the event have it down to a science, tho from the parking to entrances, panels, and events. The.... has all the events set up and organized for you and its very easy to get around the convention center. The MegaCon app was also a convenient way for you to keep up with all the happenings inside and outside the main hall. Now the convention center is huge. Bring you most comfortable pair of shoes, some snacks, and your money( more on that below).

Crowd lined up and moving about the Convention Center

Vendors
Brothascomics contributor the Sandman( @sandman415) joined me on Saturday and we jokingly began to refer to MegaCon as VendorCon. That was not an insult! If there is any genre you are into in the world of comics, sci-fi, anime, video games, etc- you will find it at MegaCon. Vendors were throughout the main hall and if you couldn't find what you wanted there, then it probably did not exist. The numerous vendors, on top of the guest list made for some tight spaces on Saturday as the con became more crowded in the afternoon. But there was plenty of space to get around and still shop for whatever you were looking for. Again, bring your checkbook, cash, and credit cards( especially cash). When you are at a huge con like this, you are going to find something you want and buy it. And you need to buy it when you see it. if you wait to come back and pick it up, it will be gone and you will be cursing yourself forever. Cash is preferred when dealing with vendors and ATM were on site but there was a massive ATM fee so come prepared with your money!

Guest List
The guest list at MegaCon was top notch! MegaCon had stars from television and movies, as well as multiple stars in the field of comic books. The TV/Movie stars were set up in a section of the convention center to accommodate the long lines. Stars from Buffy, Rocky Horror Picture Show, the Flash, and countless other movies and tv shows were on hand. On top of that, top voice talent from cartoons and video games were also on site. Again, there was gonna be something or someone at MegaCon that will hold your interest! Truly an outstanding guest list. The biggest guest on that list was Stan Lee. Stan Lee was so popular he had his own section in the con for people to meet/greet and get things signed. I had hoped to get pictures with Stan Lee and some of my other favs but time and money did not allow for much of that. Whereas the movie/tv stars may not have been as accessible, the comic book artists and writers were. Meeting/talking to the likes of Dan Parent and Stanford Greene was easy and awesome to get books signed by these creators. Plus there were plenty of independent creators on the floor, as well if you are looking for books off the beaten path. A great mix of both were on the floor for fans!

Me and Archie writer/artist Dan Parent

I was most excited to see/meet X-Men writer/legend Chris Claremont. I was able to get a picture with him and attend his panel on the X-Men. We were also able to attend the panel for Famke Jansen as she talked X-Men and her many other film and tv projects.

I kinda wished I coulda took same picture with Famke

Cosplay
We always look to spotlight Cosplayers of color at conventions and MegaCon did not let us down. #wehere

We truly appreciate all the fans and their cosplay and the dedication that goes into it! MegaCon had some of the best Cosplay we have seen in our many years of covering Cons. People went all out with the conventional heroes, but also many non traditional and innovative costumes. Great job by all!

Family Friendly
All cons are not family friendly. Whether its the cosplay or the content, you need to be sure before you walk into a convention center with your younger kids. MegaCon is truly kid friendly. From the price for kids to enter($10 for the weekend) and to the attitude and behaviors of the fans. You can feel comfortable bring your kids to this event. At night, there are some non kid friendly events, but those are clearly marked for 18 and older! No alcohol is sold on the site of the convention which also contributes to the save atmosphere of the convention.

Overall
I am so grateful to the people of MegaCon for allowing brothascomics to cover this event. This is our second MegaCon event(we covered Tampa this past October). The event staff and the crew were amazing, as well the communication staff. We highly recommend this Con if you live anywhere, but especially in the Southeast portions of the United States! Great time, great guests, great experience!
I cannot wait until MegaCon Tampa in October!